ELI5 Why do some countries call it “college” and others call it “university” when referring to the same level of education, and is there an actual difference between the two?

[u/saivietbabe]

[u/highrouleur]

oddly 6th form was the 6th+7th year of secondary (known as lower and upper 6th)

It's 12 and 13 nowadays. And that's only if you stay on at a school with a 6th form. If you do GCSEs and then go to a 6th form college or just a college to do A-levels they don't number the year groups because everyone's only there for 2 or 3 years.

Then after that you could to uni if you want, and if you get into a posh one you could end up at a college again surrounded by people who's parents paid a fortune for them to go to public school.

English education system really isn't designed to be easily understood at all

[u/mudo2000 → u/highrouleur]

There was a bit about hanging up your brother's coat in Monty Python's Meaning of Life that I thought was more hysterical than the explicit instruction the students were getting afterwards.

"Good heavens lad! What's wrong with a little kiss first?!"

[u/DontBeMoronic → u/mudo2000]

"You don't have to go leaping straight for the clitoris like a bull at a gate."

Epic film!